Little Ground Squirrel
CR

Little Ground Squirrel

Spermophilus pygmaeus

UnknownLCEULCEU

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_ground_squirrel

Overview

The little ground squirrel or little souslik is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae. It is found from Eastern Europe to Central Asia.

The Little Ground Squirrel faces severe population declines primarily due to extensive habitat loss from agricultural conversion and urban development across its steppe range. Climate change is altering precipitation patterns and vegetation composition in its already fragmented habitat, while increased grazing pressure and infrastructure development further reduce available suitable areas.

Threat summary

Habitat

The little ground squirrel inhabits steppes and semi-deserts in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, ranging from Ukraine and European Russia east as far as the Aral Sea (Kazakhstan) and Dagestan (Russia). It is found at altitudes of up to 500 metres. The range of the species has been reduced over the last 20 years, probably as a result of climate change with more wet weather and wet years in the...

TERRESTRIAL· majorTERRESTRIAL· major

Other threatened species in Sciuridae

Sulawesi Giant SquirrelVU

Sulawesi Giant Squirrel

Rubrisciurus rubriventer

Unknown
VU

Lowland Long-nosed Squirrel

Hyosciurus ileile

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Little Ground Squirrel classified as Critically Endangered?
Little Ground Squirrel is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Little Ground Squirrel faces severe population declines primarily due to extensive habitat loss from agricultural conversion and urban development across its steppe range. Climate change is altering precipitation patterns and vegetation composition in its already fragmented habitat, while increased grazing pressure and infrastructure development further reduce available suitable areas.
Where does Little Ground Squirrel live?
Little Ground Squirrel occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Little Ground Squirrel?
The main threats to Little Ground Squirrel are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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